Gates vs French Gates

The two founders of the Gates Foundation.

The differences

Forbes puts Bill Gates about $83.6B ahead of Melinda French Gates.Forbes figures from 15 Oct 2026 and 9 Oct 2026.
Bill Gates: co-founded it. Melinda French Gates: through marriage.
Bill Gates is about 9 years older than Melinda French Gates.
Both have signed the Giving Pledge.

Put someone else on either side

Gates

French Gates

Net worth, Forbes: $118BForbes, 15 Oct 2026; $34.3BForbes, 9 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $119BBloomberg, 16 Oct 2026; $17.4BBloomberg, 12 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 17Real-Time list, 15 Oct 2026; No. 67Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026
Billionaire since: 1987Forbes first listed him as a billionaire in 1987; Not stated

How it started: Co-founded itCo-founded Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975; Through marriageBloomberg: her wealth mainly comes from assets transferred to her in May and August 2021 after her divorce from Bill Gates; Forbes estimates the settlement at $25 billion
Main source: Cascade Investment, built from Microsoft stock sales and dividendsBloomberg: 'The majority of Bill Gates' fortune is derived from Cascade Investment'; Assets transferred from Cascade Investment after her 2021 divorceForbes lists Microsoft as her source of wealth
Companies: MicrosoftMicrosoft: Co-founder; technology advisor to the CEO; MicrosoftMicrosoft: None; former general manager of information products
Biggest stake: Microsoft1% owned; MicrosoftStake not stated

Born: 28 Oct 1955Seattle, Washington, United States; 15 Aug 1964Dallas, Texas, United States
Country: United StatesLives in Medina, Washington, United States; United StatesLives in Seattle, Washington, United States
Education: Left university without a degreeHarvard University, left without a degree (honorary degree in 2007); Graduate degreeBS in computer science and economics (1986) and MBA (1987), Duke University
Parents: Father William H. Gates Sr. was an attorney and civic leader; mother Mary Gates was a schoolteacher, University of Washington regent and chair of United Way International; Not stated

Giving Pledge: Signed in 2010Co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 with Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett; Signed in 2010Co-founded the Giving Pledge
Foundation: Gates FoundationFormerly the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; renamed in 2025. He is trustee of the Gates Foundation Trust; Pivotal Philanthropies FoundationPrivate foundation she formed in 2022 within Pivotal; she co-chaired the Gates Foundation from 2000 to 2024
Lifetime giving: $63.9BGates Foundation, 31 Dec 2025. Joint total given by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates to the foundation from inception through 2025; no Gates-only figure is published; $52.6BForbes, 9 Feb 2026. Forbes' estimate of what Bill and Melinda Gates have given away together; Forbes publishes no figure for her alone

Role now: Founder, no executive roleChair of the Gates Foundation; technology advisor to Microsoft's CEO; No roleHeads Pivotal, the organization she formed in 2015
Successor: Steve Ballmer succeeded him as Microsoft CEO in 2000; Satya Nadella is now chairman and CEONo Gates family member is named in a Microsoft executive role in the cited sources; Not stated
Public office: None found; None found
Legal record: 2004: US District Court for D.C. (DOJ case at the FTC's request)A consent final judgment in a case over a Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger notification violation ordered him to pay $800,000 in civil penalties, without trial or adjudication of facts or law.; None found